Sunday, May 1, 2011
DAY 14, MOVIE 1:
127 Hours (2010), directed by Danny Boyle. I wish more people would see this wonderful movie. It is so easy to make a dark and depressing movie, but Danny Boyle has given us two of the most inspirational movies of modern cinema (this and Slumdog Millionaire). Even though this movie gets really intense (especially at the end), that only adds to emotion at the end. Based on the true story of Aron Ralston, a hiker who gets his arm trapped under a boulder in an isolated canyon for five days. This is a story about a man who refused to give up and die, and would go to extreme lengths just to keep living. Everyone seems to know this movie for its climatic scene, but the story keeps going after that. Those minutes after his escape when he’s trying to walk to safety are just as emotionally involving as the rest of the movie. And that ending montage was simply perfect, as it shows all of Aron’s accomplishments since the incident with the rock. The combination of music and editing makes you feel as glad as he probably was just to be alive. As for Boyle’s direction, he definitely shows off his skill. He’s able to make an exciting film, while only limited to one stationary location. With the use of creative camera angles, quick editing when necessary, an energetic soundtrack, and an intense score by A.R. Rahman, Boyle shows us how big a small story can look. Sometimes you can tell if a director enjoys life by looking at the movies they make, and I think it’s safe to assume that Danny Boyle is one of those directors.
DAY 14, MOVIE 2:
Toy Story 2 (1999), directed by John Lasseter. Watching and writing about the first Toy Story last night put me in the mood to watch the sequel today. I’ll be honest and say that when I was younger, I thought this was significantly worse than the first Toy Story. On my last birthday I got the entire Toy Story trilogy on blu-ray, and going through those movies was the first time I saw the second one in about eight years. Re-watching it now that I’m older, I have no idea why I didn’t like this movie. Most sequels are rehashes of the original, but Toy Story 2 gives the characters a completely new adventure, delves deeper into the characters, and even adds some new ones. In Toy Story 2, Woody the cowboy gets his arm torn, and is shelved by his owner. Soon after which he is stolen during a yard sale, and the other toys set out to rescue him. These past two nights were the first time that I watched these two movies with my surround sound system, and got the full effect of the sound mixes. They were amazing. Pixar doesn’t just pay attention to the details in their animation and stories, but also their sound designs. Both movies did such a great job at making you experience the sounds the way the toys would. The sound mixers designed the sounds in such a way that everything sounds big, thus making you feel as small as a toy. There are numerous examples of this in the first movie, but I’ll keep it with Toy Story 2. The scene where the toys are trying to cross the street, hiding themselves in traffic cones is where the sound really gets a chance to show off. As the cars zoomed by, you can feel them rush by as if you’re down on the street, almost getting hit by them. Then there’s the large cylinder that falls off the truck, which sounds larger than anything. The sound mixers of the Toy Story movies are clearly masters of their craft, and can immerse you in the dangerous world of a toy.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Day 13: Simply Good Storytelling
Saturday, April 30, 2011
DAY 13, MOVIE 1:
Psycho (1960), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This is one of the five greatest films ever made. This movie is proof that Alfred Hitchcock is the director who wrote the rulebook on filmmaking. In every scene there are numerous shots and lines of dialogue that have layers and layers of subtext. Most notable in my opinion is Marion Crane’s conversation with Norman Bates, as the two of them eat at the motel. Norman starts by talking the meal he made, and that he made it all for Marion, since he’s not hungry. Once she begins eating, he makes the famous remark “You eat like a bird.” This brings the conversation to the subject of birds, when Marion says “You would know,” referring to all the stuffed birds in the room. Norman then says he doesn’t know much about birds, but what he does know about is stuffing things, or taxidermy. After talking about taxidermy for a minute, Marion says “A man should have a hobby.” To which Norman responds by talking about what the purpose of hobby should be, “A hobby should pass the time, not fill it.” And Marion asks him “Is your time really that empty.” This now brings Norman to talk about all the errands he has to run during the day. And finally when Marion asks Norman if he has any friends, Norman starts talking about his relationship with his mother. The topics the two talk about are the meal, ornithology (study of birds), taxidermy, hobbies, errands, and relationships. And if you take the first letter of each of those topics, it spells M-O-T-H-E-R. If you’ve seen this film, then you know the significance that word holds.
DAY 13, MOVIE 2:
Toy Story (1995), directed by John Lasseter. After a long day at work, I just needed something light and short to watch. And the original Toy Story jumped right out at me from my shelf. As everyone knows, this is the movie that changed animation forever, being the first ever fully computer generated animation film. Even though this is the movie where 3D animation made its mark, looking back 16 years later, it’s amazing to see how far the technology has come. These older 3D animated movies always look better in your head than they actually are, when you haven’t seen them in a long time. The animation still looks as smooth as the day it was first shown, and the little details in the textures are still there (the work done on Mr. Potato Head impresses me the most. At first glance his surface looks completely smooth, but when you look closely you can see all the little engravings in him). But everything has this look to it as if Vaseline has been smeared all over everything. However, after the initial shock of seeing the animation from its early days, it doesn’t even matter. The story is so well told, that you completely forget that this was made in the mid-1990s. Toy Story is a timeless story with characters that have lived on for years after they were first introduced, and have even returned in two excellent sequels. Pixar really aimed to tell a story with state-of-the-art animation, instead of only showing off what they can do. The effort in the writing shows. This family film will live on for generations, and will never be outgrown.
DAY 13, MOVIE 1:
Psycho (1960), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This is one of the five greatest films ever made. This movie is proof that Alfred Hitchcock is the director who wrote the rulebook on filmmaking. In every scene there are numerous shots and lines of dialogue that have layers and layers of subtext. Most notable in my opinion is Marion Crane’s conversation with Norman Bates, as the two of them eat at the motel. Norman starts by talking the meal he made, and that he made it all for Marion, since he’s not hungry. Once she begins eating, he makes the famous remark “You eat like a bird.” This brings the conversation to the subject of birds, when Marion says “You would know,” referring to all the stuffed birds in the room. Norman then says he doesn’t know much about birds, but what he does know about is stuffing things, or taxidermy. After talking about taxidermy for a minute, Marion says “A man should have a hobby.” To which Norman responds by talking about what the purpose of hobby should be, “A hobby should pass the time, not fill it.” And Marion asks him “Is your time really that empty.” This now brings Norman to talk about all the errands he has to run during the day. And finally when Marion asks Norman if he has any friends, Norman starts talking about his relationship with his mother. The topics the two talk about are the meal, ornithology (study of birds), taxidermy, hobbies, errands, and relationships. And if you take the first letter of each of those topics, it spells M-O-T-H-E-R. If you’ve seen this film, then you know the significance that word holds.
DAY 13, MOVIE 2:
Toy Story (1995), directed by John Lasseter. After a long day at work, I just needed something light and short to watch. And the original Toy Story jumped right out at me from my shelf. As everyone knows, this is the movie that changed animation forever, being the first ever fully computer generated animation film. Even though this is the movie where 3D animation made its mark, looking back 16 years later, it’s amazing to see how far the technology has come. These older 3D animated movies always look better in your head than they actually are, when you haven’t seen them in a long time. The animation still looks as smooth as the day it was first shown, and the little details in the textures are still there (the work done on Mr. Potato Head impresses me the most. At first glance his surface looks completely smooth, but when you look closely you can see all the little engravings in him). But everything has this look to it as if Vaseline has been smeared all over everything. However, after the initial shock of seeing the animation from its early days, it doesn’t even matter. The story is so well told, that you completely forget that this was made in the mid-1990s. Toy Story is a timeless story with characters that have lived on for years after they were first introduced, and have even returned in two excellent sequels. Pixar really aimed to tell a story with state-of-the-art animation, instead of only showing off what they can do. The effort in the writing shows. This family film will live on for generations, and will never be outgrown.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Day 12: A Brief Look Into Relationships
Friday, April 29, 2011
DAY 12, MOVIE 1:
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), directed by Wes Anderson. Every once in a while there comes a film that I didn’t really care for the first time I saw it, but as time went by I appreciated it more and more. The Royal Tenenbaums is one of those movies. The first time I saw it, I thought the premise was intriguing, but I thought the acting (with the exception of Gene Hackman) was rather stale. The movie is about three child prodigies, whose heydays have passed in their adult lives, and all move back home. Meanwhile, their estranged father tries to get back into their lives by pretending to have stomach cancer. Every time I watch this movie, I notice a little more in at least one of the performance. Little by little I understand why so many see this as Wes Anderson’s masterpiece. In one way or another, every character has been hurt by another character, and they all try so hard to let that hurt show on the surface. And then they all try to deal with that hurt in their own way, all on their own. The scene that resonates most with me is when Luke Wilson’s character attempts suicide by slitting his wrists. The scene is so magnificently performed, shot, and edited, that I can’t help but feel emotionally involved with the scene. The color scheme of the scene is much bluer and darker than the rest of movie, which has a lot of warm colors. So the sudden transition in the look adds the right amount of intensity. And when Luke Wilson says, “I’m going to kill myself tomorrow,” a reference to Louis Malle’s The Fire Within, it’s just heart wrenching. But the touch that always gets me is that brief montage before he slits his wrists. Those quick shots of his childhood, of his hawk freely flying away, and of the woman he loves shown right before he tries to take his own life are a beautiful display of looking into the mind of a broken man.
DAY 12, MOVIE 2:
The Social Network (2010), directed by David Fincher. You may want to get used to reading about this movie, because I’ll be watching it a lot during this year. Since I only just covered this movie yesterday, I’ll be brief this time. Tonight I watched this movie with a friend who hadn’t seen it before, and he loved it. He even pointed out a few of his own interpretations, which I found to be intriguing. Specifically the boat race scene set to the music of In the Hall of the Mountain King. I had always seen that sequence as metaphorically showing the twins’ relationship to Zuckerberg, and their pursuit of claiming the Facebook as their own, but I could never quite put my thoughts into the exact words I wanted. My friend summed it perfectly, saying “I see that scene as showing that they were losing from the start.” Another thing he pointed out was how the Zuckerberg and Sean Parker characters were different from each other, in that Zuckerberg has a conscience. During the club scene, Zuckerberg asks Parker if he ever thinks about the girl he loved in high school, and Parker simply says “no.” And then at the very end, we see Zuckerberg can not forget about the girl who dumped him at the beginning of the movie, and is sorry for the way he treated her. For those of you who have seen the movie, you know how David Fincher was able to perfectly show this visually, without saying a single word.
DAY 12, MOVIE 1:
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), directed by Wes Anderson. Every once in a while there comes a film that I didn’t really care for the first time I saw it, but as time went by I appreciated it more and more. The Royal Tenenbaums is one of those movies. The first time I saw it, I thought the premise was intriguing, but I thought the acting (with the exception of Gene Hackman) was rather stale. The movie is about three child prodigies, whose heydays have passed in their adult lives, and all move back home. Meanwhile, their estranged father tries to get back into their lives by pretending to have stomach cancer. Every time I watch this movie, I notice a little more in at least one of the performance. Little by little I understand why so many see this as Wes Anderson’s masterpiece. In one way or another, every character has been hurt by another character, and they all try so hard to let that hurt show on the surface. And then they all try to deal with that hurt in their own way, all on their own. The scene that resonates most with me is when Luke Wilson’s character attempts suicide by slitting his wrists. The scene is so magnificently performed, shot, and edited, that I can’t help but feel emotionally involved with the scene. The color scheme of the scene is much bluer and darker than the rest of movie, which has a lot of warm colors. So the sudden transition in the look adds the right amount of intensity. And when Luke Wilson says, “I’m going to kill myself tomorrow,” a reference to Louis Malle’s The Fire Within, it’s just heart wrenching. But the touch that always gets me is that brief montage before he slits his wrists. Those quick shots of his childhood, of his hawk freely flying away, and of the woman he loves shown right before he tries to take his own life are a beautiful display of looking into the mind of a broken man.
DAY 12, MOVIE 2:
The Social Network (2010), directed by David Fincher. You may want to get used to reading about this movie, because I’ll be watching it a lot during this year. Since I only just covered this movie yesterday, I’ll be brief this time. Tonight I watched this movie with a friend who hadn’t seen it before, and he loved it. He even pointed out a few of his own interpretations, which I found to be intriguing. Specifically the boat race scene set to the music of In the Hall of the Mountain King. I had always seen that sequence as metaphorically showing the twins’ relationship to Zuckerberg, and their pursuit of claiming the Facebook as their own, but I could never quite put my thoughts into the exact words I wanted. My friend summed it perfectly, saying “I see that scene as showing that they were losing from the start.” Another thing he pointed out was how the Zuckerberg and Sean Parker characters were different from each other, in that Zuckerberg has a conscience. During the club scene, Zuckerberg asks Parker if he ever thinks about the girl he loved in high school, and Parker simply says “no.” And then at the very end, we see Zuckerberg can not forget about the girl who dumped him at the beginning of the movie, and is sorry for the way he treated her. For those of you who have seen the movie, you know how David Fincher was able to perfectly show this visually, without saying a single word.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Day 11: Modern Masterpieces
Thursday, April 28, 2011
DAY 11, MOVIE 1:
The Departed (2006), directed by Martin Scorsese. Oh, there is so much to say about this movie. This is yet another movie I have seen countless times. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies, in my top 50. It’s easily one of Scorsese’s five best films he’s ever made, I’m happy he finally won his much-deserved Oscar for this movie. I remember after I first saw this movie I was constantly raving about it. Every single actor does a great job with the material given. But I’d have to say Matt Damon is the standout in my eyes, as he plays the product of the mind of a criminal genius, who goes undercover in the Massachusetts state police. He plays the part perfectly, faking his allegiance to the police, but knowing his true loyalty is to crime boss Jack Nicholson. But the real star of The Departed is director Martin Scorsese. As always, he proves his mastery of the craft of film, balancing the two stories of the undercover cop, and the undercover mobster. Each shot in the movie is composed with great care; every frame is easy on the eye. I can play this whole movie in my head, the shots are that good. The soundtrack is also great; I don’t think Scorsese has any problem fitting in the music he likes into the movies he makes (he uses The Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter three times. Twice in the same scene even!). And as for the score: how was that score not nominated for an Oscar? It added the write amount of intensity and emotion to each scene, and those guitar notes will stay in your head for a long, long time. I have nothing but praise for this film. This one will stand the test of time.
DAY 11, MOVIE 2:
The Social Network (2010), directed by David Fincher. 2010 had a couple of really good movies. Although I wouldn’t place it at the top of my list, The Social Network may be the movie from 2010 which I’ve watched the most. There is a lot to love about this movie, but the highlight to me is Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg. In my opinion, Eisenberg got robbed at the Oscars. Out of the five nominees for best actor, none of them had to take on the task of bringing a character as complex as this to life. At first glance, his character my only be an interpretation of the real Mark Zuckerberg, but I don’t think that’s true. I don’t see his performance as a portrayal of Zuckerberg himself, but rather a reflection of Zuckerberg’s creation, and its effect on modern society: emotionally distant, isolated, and detached. Playing someone who is still alive is a major challenge for an actor, but I think Eisenberg, along with the filmmakers, made the right choice for him to play Zuckerberg in such a way that every audience member has their own interpretation of his personality.
DAY 11, MOVIE 1:
The Departed (2006), directed by Martin Scorsese. Oh, there is so much to say about this movie. This is yet another movie I have seen countless times. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies, in my top 50. It’s easily one of Scorsese’s five best films he’s ever made, I’m happy he finally won his much-deserved Oscar for this movie. I remember after I first saw this movie I was constantly raving about it. Every single actor does a great job with the material given. But I’d have to say Matt Damon is the standout in my eyes, as he plays the product of the mind of a criminal genius, who goes undercover in the Massachusetts state police. He plays the part perfectly, faking his allegiance to the police, but knowing his true loyalty is to crime boss Jack Nicholson. But the real star of The Departed is director Martin Scorsese. As always, he proves his mastery of the craft of film, balancing the two stories of the undercover cop, and the undercover mobster. Each shot in the movie is composed with great care; every frame is easy on the eye. I can play this whole movie in my head, the shots are that good. The soundtrack is also great; I don’t think Scorsese has any problem fitting in the music he likes into the movies he makes (he uses The Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter three times. Twice in the same scene even!). And as for the score: how was that score not nominated for an Oscar? It added the write amount of intensity and emotion to each scene, and those guitar notes will stay in your head for a long, long time. I have nothing but praise for this film. This one will stand the test of time.
DAY 11, MOVIE 2:
The Social Network (2010), directed by David Fincher. 2010 had a couple of really good movies. Although I wouldn’t place it at the top of my list, The Social Network may be the movie from 2010 which I’ve watched the most. There is a lot to love about this movie, but the highlight to me is Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg. In my opinion, Eisenberg got robbed at the Oscars. Out of the five nominees for best actor, none of them had to take on the task of bringing a character as complex as this to life. At first glance, his character my only be an interpretation of the real Mark Zuckerberg, but I don’t think that’s true. I don’t see his performance as a portrayal of Zuckerberg himself, but rather a reflection of Zuckerberg’s creation, and its effect on modern society: emotionally distant, isolated, and detached. Playing someone who is still alive is a major challenge for an actor, but I think Eisenberg, along with the filmmakers, made the right choice for him to play Zuckerberg in such a way that every audience member has their own interpretation of his personality.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Day 10: The Year 1933
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
DAY 10, MOVIE 1:
Lady for a Day (1933), directed by Frank Capra. This was not Frank Capra’s best. Coming from the same man who gave us It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can’t Take It with You, and It’s a Wonderful Life, I expected more from this movie. But I guess there’s a reason why Lady for a Day is never mentioned alongside the above classics. Lady for a Day isn’t bad, but it doesn’t hold up. I can tell Capra made a film that had high-class humor for back in the day, but it lacks the liveliness that was present in It Happened One Night and You Can’t Take It with You. If I had to sum up my thoughts of this movie in one sentence, I would say, “It’s a well made, but lifeless movie.”
DAY 10, MOVIE 2:
The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), directed by Alexander Korda. Another best picture Oscar nominee from 1933, this one is about the last five marriages of King Henry VIII. I mostly associate Charles Laughton with much darker material. I first saw him in Mutiny on the Bounty as the cruel Captain Bligh, and I also know he directed The Night of the Hunter. So I was surprised that he was able to deliver an exuberant performance as Henry VIII, instead of the brooding morose character I was expecting. But much like Lady for a Day, this movie doesn’t hold up. Laughton’s performance is the only thing worthwhile in this movie. It’s nothing more than a well acted soap opera, and I recommend this only to fans of Charles Laughton who want to see his Oscar winning performance. I guess 1933 was just a weak year at the Oscars. Oh well.
DAY 10, MOVIE 1:
Lady for a Day (1933), directed by Frank Capra. This was not Frank Capra’s best. Coming from the same man who gave us It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can’t Take It with You, and It’s a Wonderful Life, I expected more from this movie. But I guess there’s a reason why Lady for a Day is never mentioned alongside the above classics. Lady for a Day isn’t bad, but it doesn’t hold up. I can tell Capra made a film that had high-class humor for back in the day, but it lacks the liveliness that was present in It Happened One Night and You Can’t Take It with You. If I had to sum up my thoughts of this movie in one sentence, I would say, “It’s a well made, but lifeless movie.”
DAY 10, MOVIE 2:
The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), directed by Alexander Korda. Another best picture Oscar nominee from 1933, this one is about the last five marriages of King Henry VIII. I mostly associate Charles Laughton with much darker material. I first saw him in Mutiny on the Bounty as the cruel Captain Bligh, and I also know he directed The Night of the Hunter. So I was surprised that he was able to deliver an exuberant performance as Henry VIII, instead of the brooding morose character I was expecting. But much like Lady for a Day, this movie doesn’t hold up. Laughton’s performance is the only thing worthwhile in this movie. It’s nothing more than a well acted soap opera, and I recommend this only to fans of Charles Laughton who want to see his Oscar winning performance. I guess 1933 was just a weak year at the Oscars. Oh well.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Day 9: Some Fine Acting
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
DAY 9, MOVIE 1:
The Dresser (1983), directed by Peter Yates. Here’s another movie I’ve wanted to see for a while, mainly because Empire Online called Albert Finney’s (one of my favorite actors) performance in this his best. And it was also directed by Peter Yates, who also did Bullitt and Breaking Away, two movies that I really enjoyed. The Dresser is about a Shakespearian actor who is having a nervous breakdown during a performance of King Lear, and his assistant who is trying to get him through the performance. I will agree with Empire that this was Albert Finney’s best performance, as the actor who is having a massive breakdown. But it was Tom Courtenay’s performance as the dresser, Finney’s assistant, who got my attention. Finney definitely had the showier role, but Courtenay had the daunting task of keeping up with him. Courtenay flawlessly matched Finney’s energy, always ready to take on the tiring task of getting him through whatever trouble he gets himself into. From getting him into the right makeup, helping him remember his lines, and even trying to convince him to be brave enough to go out on the stage and face the audience. Tom Courtenay brought a down-to-earth human edge to the story, along with the right amount of comic relief, without becoming a “funny” character. The story itself was rather simple though, but the two lead actors are reason enough to watch this film.
DAY 9, MOVIE 1:
The Dresser (1983), directed by Peter Yates. Here’s another movie I’ve wanted to see for a while, mainly because Empire Online called Albert Finney’s (one of my favorite actors) performance in this his best. And it was also directed by Peter Yates, who also did Bullitt and Breaking Away, two movies that I really enjoyed. The Dresser is about a Shakespearian actor who is having a nervous breakdown during a performance of King Lear, and his assistant who is trying to get him through the performance. I will agree with Empire that this was Albert Finney’s best performance, as the actor who is having a massive breakdown. But it was Tom Courtenay’s performance as the dresser, Finney’s assistant, who got my attention. Finney definitely had the showier role, but Courtenay had the daunting task of keeping up with him. Courtenay flawlessly matched Finney’s energy, always ready to take on the tiring task of getting him through whatever trouble he gets himself into. From getting him into the right makeup, helping him remember his lines, and even trying to convince him to be brave enough to go out on the stage and face the audience. Tom Courtenay brought a down-to-earth human edge to the story, along with the right amount of comic relief, without becoming a “funny” character. The story itself was rather simple though, but the two lead actors are reason enough to watch this film.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Day 8: A Most Thrilling Monday
Monday, April 25, 2011
DAY 8, MOVIE 1:
The Fugitive (1993), directed by Andrew Davis. This is a movie I’ve wanted to see for a while, friends have been recommending it to me for years, and I really wanted to see the performance that Tommy Lee Jones won his Oscar for. As far as action movies go, The Fugitive was really well thought out. Unlike so many other action movies, which are just noise and have faded out of memory, The Fugitive has stood the test of time thanks to a number of memorable scenes, and story that’s character driven, rather than plot driven. So many scenes, especially the escape sequence and the sewer chase, have been referenced and spoofed countless times, and for good reason. Director Andrew Davis clearly knew what he was doing; he set out to tell the story of a man on the run trying to prove his innocence. The thrills in this movie are real; Davis crafted each scene with the utter most care, relying on perfect setups and character interaction, instead of incoherent noise, chaotic editing, and cheap jokes. Every event in this movie spawned from the decisions that characters made, which made the action so much more thrilling to me. More recent action movies can take a lesson or two from The Fugitive.
DAY 8, MOVIE 2:
Scream 4 (2011), directed by Wes Craven. This might get a little complicated, so try to stay with me here. I am a fan of the Scream movies; have been ever since my brother showed me the first one when I was only about six or seven years old. They’re the perfect blend of comedy and horror, satire and suspense. The first one, as we all know, was genius, as it dissected the very clichés that made up the horror genre. And now with Scream 4 we have an equally genius horror movie that takes on remakes and reboots. I don’t want to talk too much about Scream 4. I think you’ll get the most fun out of it knowing as little as possible. But I will say that my expectations were exceeded. The plot is simple: Sidney Prescott returns to Woodsboro, and a new batch of murders arise. But of course it’s not the story or the killings we care about in a Scream movie, it’s the dialogue. I will be bold and call Scream 4 the Inception of horror movies. This is in the way that it was a sequel about people trying to be a reboot to the movie that this is a sequel to, with a movie within a movie within a movie. There are so many layers to this movie, but everything is part of the same story, and it is all perfectly balanced. Think of it like a Twizzler, with each strand being either a sequel or a reboot, and the two are twisted into one delicious treat! Wes Craven uses Scream’s trademark self aware dialogue to his advantage to create some great suspense. By using the pattern of the first movie, he makes us think we know what will happen, but then do something completely different at just the moment we don’t expect it. And at the same time as of all this twisted craziness, the characters even dissect the original movie as they live through this “reboot” of those events. It was brilliant, but more importantly it was fun. Scream 4 was good, smart, bloody fun. If you’re as much of a movie geek as I am, then please see this movie, you’ll love it!
DAY 8, MOVIE 1:
The Fugitive (1993), directed by Andrew Davis. This is a movie I’ve wanted to see for a while, friends have been recommending it to me for years, and I really wanted to see the performance that Tommy Lee Jones won his Oscar for. As far as action movies go, The Fugitive was really well thought out. Unlike so many other action movies, which are just noise and have faded out of memory, The Fugitive has stood the test of time thanks to a number of memorable scenes, and story that’s character driven, rather than plot driven. So many scenes, especially the escape sequence and the sewer chase, have been referenced and spoofed countless times, and for good reason. Director Andrew Davis clearly knew what he was doing; he set out to tell the story of a man on the run trying to prove his innocence. The thrills in this movie are real; Davis crafted each scene with the utter most care, relying on perfect setups and character interaction, instead of incoherent noise, chaotic editing, and cheap jokes. Every event in this movie spawned from the decisions that characters made, which made the action so much more thrilling to me. More recent action movies can take a lesson or two from The Fugitive.
DAY 8, MOVIE 2:
Scream 4 (2011), directed by Wes Craven. This might get a little complicated, so try to stay with me here. I am a fan of the Scream movies; have been ever since my brother showed me the first one when I was only about six or seven years old. They’re the perfect blend of comedy and horror, satire and suspense. The first one, as we all know, was genius, as it dissected the very clichés that made up the horror genre. And now with Scream 4 we have an equally genius horror movie that takes on remakes and reboots. I don’t want to talk too much about Scream 4. I think you’ll get the most fun out of it knowing as little as possible. But I will say that my expectations were exceeded. The plot is simple: Sidney Prescott returns to Woodsboro, and a new batch of murders arise. But of course it’s not the story or the killings we care about in a Scream movie, it’s the dialogue. I will be bold and call Scream 4 the Inception of horror movies. This is in the way that it was a sequel about people trying to be a reboot to the movie that this is a sequel to, with a movie within a movie within a movie. There are so many layers to this movie, but everything is part of the same story, and it is all perfectly balanced. Think of it like a Twizzler, with each strand being either a sequel or a reboot, and the two are twisted into one delicious treat! Wes Craven uses Scream’s trademark self aware dialogue to his advantage to create some great suspense. By using the pattern of the first movie, he makes us think we know what will happen, but then do something completely different at just the moment we don’t expect it. And at the same time as of all this twisted craziness, the characters even dissect the original movie as they live through this “reboot” of those events. It was brilliant, but more importantly it was fun. Scream 4 was good, smart, bloody fun. If you’re as much of a movie geek as I am, then please see this movie, you’ll love it!
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